BRINSLEY SCHWARZ

"Hooked on Love" live

SHORT BIOGRAPHY:

Guitarist Brinsley Schwarz and bassist Nick Lowe had been in the pop rock group Kippington Lodge who had unsuccessfully released a handful of singles on the Parlophone label. In '69, keyboardist Bob Andrews and American drummer Billy Rankin joined. By that time the group had grown tired of their pop rock sound and would begin to lean more on the folk rock/psychedelia style after which they changed their name to The Brinsley Schwarz Band and then just simply Brinsley Schwarz. With Nick Lowe becoming, more or less, the centre of the group with his songwriting and vocal skills, the group caught the attention of manager Dave Robinson who had founded the Famepushers Agency. In late '69 the group signed with United Artists Records. Scheduled to play New York's Fillmore East as an opening act for Van Morrison in 1970, the group, along with Robinson financed a publicity stunt of sorts. The group planned to leave for the U.S. a few days before the show for rehearsals but were denied visas on a technicality. After they were finally given their clearance, they arrived just hours before the show. Robinson's plan to have flown a handful of journalist's to the show backfired as their plane developed mechanical problems which would delay the flight to the U.S. for hours. About eighteen hours later, with the journalist's either pissed or hungover, Brinsley Schwarz finally played a competent but a not too overwhelming set which was later hailed as a flop along with their self titled debut album. Dazed by the Fillmore fiasco, the group returned to the U.K. and rented a house outside of London. After spending days and nights playing and rehearsing, they recorded and released their second album Despite It All in late '70.

Although tainted with what went on earlier in the year, Despite It All proved to be an indication of the sound of an evolving group with a country rock flavour. Guitarist/vocalist Ian Gomm joined soon after. With their Van Morrison/The Byrds/The Band influences, the group garnered a small cult following which was soon to build, particularly due to their live shows. Eventually the group gained attention from the U.K. press who dubbed Brinsley Schwarz as the purveyors of the "pub rock" sound. 1972's Nervous On The Road was the group's best reviewed album to date as the group opened up for Paul McCartney And Wings. With constant touring of pubs as well as colleges, the group wasn't able to record as much, although they did manage to record as a backing band for Frankie Miller for his 1973 release of Once In A Blue Moon. With an attempt to chart a hit, the group recorded a handful of singles which would none the less never reach high on the charts if not at all. With producer and friend Dave Edmunds the group recorded their fifth album New Favourites Of Brinsley Schwarz, released in '74, but record sales eluded them. They continued releasing a few non album singles in early '75 until they finally broke up in the spring of that year.

Tracks: 1. Peace Love And Understanding / 2. Ever since You're Gone / 3. The Ugly Things / 4. I Got The Real Thing / 5. The Look Tha'ts In Your Eye Tonight / 6. Now's The Time / 7. Small Town, Big City / 8. Trying To Live My Life Without You / 9. I Like You, I Don't Love You / 10. Down In The Dive
Rating : 7